French Open 2024: Coco Gauff storms into fourth round, Andrey Rublev's campaign comes to screeching halt

Coco Gauff, seeded third at the French Open, secured a convincing 6-2, 6-4 victory over Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska on Friday, May 31. Gauff applied relentless pressure, forcing Yastremska into a staggering 38 unforced errors on Court Philippe Chatrier. Clinical with her opportunities, Gauff converted five of her 11 break points to advance to the fourth round of the French Open 2024.

Cocciaretto upsets Samsonova, sets up Gauff clash

Following a day of upsets on Thursday that saw several seeded players fall, Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto continued the trend by defeating No. 17 Liudmila Samsonova in three sets (7-6 (4), 6-2) on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Ranked No. 51, Cocciaretto achieved a career-first by reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament.

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Gauff vs Cocciaretto: A Familiar Foe

Next up for Gauff is a clash with Cocciaretto. This will be their third encounter, with Gauff having emerged victorious in both their previous meetings.

“She is definitely a fighter,” Gauff told broadcasters after the match.

Gauff Eyes Title Run: Coco Gauff, fresh off her U.S. Open victory and a 2022 French Open runner-up finish, looks to continue her dominance.

Qualifier Makes History: Olga Danilovic (ranked 125) stuns Donna Vekic in a thrilling three-set comeback, reaching her first Grand Slam fourth round.

Wet Weather Woes: Persistent rain disrupts the tournament for a third day, with more showers expected in the afternoon. Matches were already halted twice. Rublev's Shocking Exit: Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev suffers a surprise defeat to Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the third round.

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Rublev Falls, Arnaldi sets up potential clash with Tsitsipas

Despite his impressive record of reaching the quarterfinals in 10 Grand Slams, Andrey Rublev (seeded 6th) couldn't overcome Matteo Arnaldi (ranked 35th) on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Arnaldi emerged victorious in straight sets (7-6 (8/6), 6-2, 6-4).

The Italian player now awaits the winner of the upcoming match between former French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and China's Zhang Zhizhen, setting the stage for a potential last-16 showdown.

“It’s incredible, I think I played the best tennis in my life. I wasn’t even expecting it. He (Rublev) didn’t play his best tennis for sure, but I used my best tactics to put him under pressure,” said Arnaldi.

Arnaldi equals his career-best Grand Slam performance, having reached the fourth round of the US Open last year before falling to Carlos Alcaraz.

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